1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to vehicles and more particularly to a vehicle having an improved turning radius.
2. Description of the Related Art
The popularity of personal mobility vehicles has dramatically increased over the last several decades. This increase in the popularity of personal mobility vehicles is due to many factors including the advent of new structural techniques and materials, as well as a more aging population. Although the population especially in the United States of America is moving towards a more senior age distribution, many of these seniors are very active and mobile. This desire for mobility and activity is present despite physical or health infirmities.
Personal mobility vehicles may be characterized as either scooter type personal mobility vehicles or power chair personal mobility vehicles. Each of the scooter type personal mobility vehicles and the power chair personal mobility vehicles have certain advantages and disadvantages.
A scooter personal mobility vehicle typically comprises an elongated frame having front wheel and plural rear wheels. The front wheel is pivotably mounted on the front portion of the elongated flame. A tiller and handlebar is provided for pivoting the front wheel for steering the personal mobility vehicle. The plural rear wheels are mounted on a common shaft driven by a single electric motor. The electric motor is controlled by a variable speed control and a forward and reverse located on the handlebar of the scooter. The scooter type personal mobility vehicle is well suited for unconfined areas such as outside use due to the superior ride of the elongated wheelbase of the scooter. The elongated wheelbase provides more stability and a better ride for the scooter personal mobility vehicle.
A power chair personal mobility vehicle typically comprises a short frame having plural drive wheels and plural casters or idler wheels. The plural drive may be either front or the rear drive wheels with the caster or idler wheels providing the stability for the power chair. The plural drive wheels are independently driven by plural electric motors. The plural electric motors are independently controlled by a control for independently driving the plural electric motors. A joystick operated the control for controlling both the turning as well as the forward and reverse movements of the power chair. The turning of the power chair was accomplished by a differential in speed between the plural independently driven electric motors. The control enabled one of the plural electric motors to have a reverse rotation relative to the other of the plural electric motors. The power chair personal mobility vehicle is well suited for confined areas such as inside use due to the short frame and the superior turning radius of the plural independently driven electric motors. The short wheelbase provides a reduced turning radius for the personal mobility vehicle for negotiating smaller confined spaces indoors.
Some in the prior art have attempted to utilize a variable wheelbase in a vehicle for improving the maneuverable and/or turning radius of the vehicle. The following United States Patents are some of the attempts of the prior art to utilize a variable wheelbase in a vehicle for increasing the maneuverability of a vehicle; U.S. Patent Re. 33,675 to Young; U.S. Pat. No. 2,896,693 to G. Schladebach; U.S. Pat. No. 3,004,619 to N. P. S. Straussler; U.S. Pat. No. 3,242,896 to R. Kauffmann; U.S. Pat. No. 3,369,629 to M. Weiss; U.S. Pat. No. 3,580,348 to R. Di Blasi; U.S. Pat. No. 3,664,450 to Udden et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 3,770,289 to L. W. Dougherty et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 3,945,449 to Ostrow; U.S. Pat. No. 4,351,540 to Minnebraker; U.S. Pat. No. 4,452,327 to Mowat et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,613,151 to Kielczewski; U.S. Pat. No. 4,721,321 to Haury et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,805,925 to Haury et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,834,409 to Kramer; U.S. Pat. No. 4,909,525 to Flowers; U.S. Pat. No. 5,011,175 to J. D. Nicholson et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,094,310 to Richey et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,826,670 to Nan; U.S. Pat. No. 5,848,658 to Pulver; U.S. Pat. No. 5,996,716 to Montiglio et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,092,822 to J. R. Salmon; U.S. Pat. No. 6,183,002 to 0. Choi et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,331,013 to O. Choi et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 6,371,235 to W. R. Wisecarver.
Others in the prior art have attempted to utilize independently controlled plural electric motors for improving the maneuverable and/or turning radius of a vehicle. The following United States Patents are some of the attempts of the prior art to utilize independently controlled plural electric motors for increasing the maneuverability of a vehicle; U.S. Pat. No. 4,293,050 to Goloff, et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,641,720 to Young; U.S. Pat. No. 5,383,528 to Nicol; U.S. Pat. No. 5,890,558 to Keegan; U.S. Pat. No. 6,301,534 to McDermott, Jr., et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,312,354 to Irikura, et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,386,305 to Nakakita, et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,397,966 to Irikura, et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,434,917 to Bartel; U.S. Pat. No. 6,442,917 to Velke, et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,447,419 to Irikura, et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,484,827 to Teal, et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,523,635 to Johnston, et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,524,205 to Irikura, et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,540,633 to Hasegawa, et al. and U.S. Patent RE 33,675 to Young.
Still others in the prior art have utilized a directional wheel assembly device for steering a vehicle. The directional wheel assembly devices of the prior art have been applied to large vehicles and have not been utilized in scooter type personal mobility vehicles. The following United States Patents are some of the prior art directional wheel assembly devices; U.S. Pat. No. 1,211,332 to Mehrings; U.S. Pat. No. 3,580,101 to Jorgensen; U.S. Pat. No. 3,799,569 to Baker; U.S. Pat. No. 4,172,503 to Ishioka, et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,570,739 to Kramer; U.S. Pat. No. 4,896,899 to Lawrence; U.S. Pat. No. 5,238,082 to Stegeman, et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,439,252 to Oxley, et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,481,937 to Uphaus, et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,613,404 to Lykken, et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,816,614 to Kramer, Jr., et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,890,397 to Stoner, et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,050,593 to McConnell, et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 6,332,621 to Wu; U.S. Pat. No. 6,474,689 to Mulhern, et al.; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,531,838 to Parks.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a scooter type personal mobility vehicle that overcomes the inadequacies of the scooters of the prior art and provides significant advancement in the scooter art.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved personal mobility vehicle with a reduced turning radius having maneuverability commensurate with a power chair.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved personal mobility vehicle with a reduced turning radius that is adaptable to either three wheel or four wheel personal mobility vehicles.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved personal mobility vehicle with a reduced turning radius that does not substantially increase the weight of the personal mobility vehicle.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved personal mobility vehicle with a reduced turning radius having an improved steering for controlling the directional wheel assembly.
The foregoing has outlined some of the more pertinent objects of the present invention. These objects should be construed as being merely illustrative of some of the more prominent features and applications of the invention. Many other beneficial results can be obtained by modifying the invention within the scope of the invention. Accordingly other objects in a full understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the summary of the invention and the detailed description describing the preferred embodiment of the invention.